What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft missing. Weather reported marginally VFR. Pilot under treatment for hypertension. Was 360 lbs over gross. (-23) on September 13, 1986, at an estimated time of 13:50 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N9109D, collided with steep terrain about 50 miles northeast of Port Alsworth, Alaska at 60.55 north latitude, 153.29 west longitude. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, operated by the pilot, was destroyed by impact and post impact fire. The certificated private pilot, and the one passenger aboard, received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of departure, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the merrill field airport, anchorage, Alaska about 11:45 enroute to a remote hunting camp. After departure, the pilot was to drop off the passenger at an undisclosed hunting site, and return to anchorage to pick up a second passenger. The pilot failed to return for the second trip, and an aerial search was initiated on September 20th, by the civil air patrol, U.S. Coast GU ard, national park service, and various private aircraft. Low ceilings along the pilot's intended route of flight limited airborne search efforts. No emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was received from the airplane. During the aerial search, about 444.0 hours were flown. The search was suspended on October 19, 1986. On October 6, 1999, the pilot of an airplane located the airplane wreckage about 3,000 feet MSL, in an area of mountainous terrain. There were no pilot records, such as logbooks, to verify currency and flight time.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT MISSING. WEATHER REPORTED MARGINALLY VFR. PILOT UNDER TREATMENT FOR HYPERTENSION. WAS 360 LBS OVER GROSS. (-23) ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1986, AT AN ESTIMATED TIME OF 13:50 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A TUNDRA TIRE EQUIPPED PIPER PA-18 AIRPLANE, N9109D, COLLIDED WITH STEEP TERRAIN ABOUT 50 MILES NORTHEAST OF PORT ALSWORTH, ALASKA AT 60.55 NORTH LATITUDE, 153.29 WEST LONGITUDE. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) CROSS-COUNTRY PERSONAL FLIGHT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE, OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT AND POST IMPACT FIRE. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT, AND THE ONE PASSENGER ABOARD, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE MERRILL FIELD AIRPORT, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA ABOUT 11:45 ENROUTE TO A REMOTE HUNTING CAMP. AFTER DEPARTURE, THE PILOT WAS TO DROP OFF THE PASSENGER AT AN UNDISCLOSED HUNTING SITE, AND RETURN TO ANCHORAGE TO PICK UP A SECOND PASSENGER. THE PILOT FAILED TO RETURN FOR THE SECOND TRIP, AND AN AERIAL SEARCH WAS INITIATED ON SEPTEMBER 20TH, BY THE CIVIL AIR PATROL, U.S. COAST GU ARD, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, AND VARIOUS PRIVATE AIRCRAFT. LOW CEILINGS ALONG THE PILOT'S INTENDED ROUTE OF FLIGHT LIMITED AIRBORNE SEARCH EFFORTS. NO EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER (ELT) SIGNAL WAS RECEIVED FROM THE AIRPLANE. DURING THE AERIAL SEARCH, ABOUT 444.0 HOURS WERE FLOWN. THE SEARCH WAS SUSPENDED ON OCTOBER 19, 1986. ON OCTOBER 6, 1999, THE PILOT OF AN AIRPLANE LOCATED THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE ABOUT 3,000 FEET MSL, IN AN AREA OF MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THERE WERE NO PILOT RECORDS, SUCH AS LOGBOOKS, TO VERIFY CURRENCY AND FLIGHT TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9109D · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.